Let's Try Again
by Lady Elizabeth of New York
Summary: Major AU. After fifteen years apart, James and Lily are reunited when they become professors at Hogwarts. James' wife has recently died and he has his hands full with his son who is exactly like him. Lily is trying not relive the past but she finds that is very hard to do with James back in her life. Will they fall in love all over again? Well their students certainly hope so.


It was a bright morning in Privet Drives as rays of the sun danced upon the soap bubbles as Lily Evans rinsed the dishes with soap. Faint noises of the telly were playing in the background as she sighed and poured more dishwasher liquid on the plate.

"You know it would be nice if Vernon or Dudley helped us clean up the breakfast we cooked for them," Lily remarked. Lily raised her eyebrows suggestively at her sister's chubby husband who was reading the morning paper and her spoilt, fat son who was planted comfortably on an arm chair with his feet up on a coffee table watching telly.

Petunia gave her a sharp look. "Lily, I thought we had an agreement. I allow you to stay here for the summer, rent free and you don't criticize my family," she snapped. "After all, I let you sleep in the room Dudley wanted to keep his toys in. I could have asked you to go sleep…"

"In the cupboard under the stairs," Lily suggested.

Petunia scoffed haughtily. "Don't be ridiculous. You couldn't possibly fit in that cupboard," Petunia said coolly.

Lily rolled her eyes, wondering if Petunia would really force someone to go sleep in the dingy, spider infested cupboard. "Look, Petunia." Lily placed the plate on the dryer and turned to look at her. "I'm only here for another three days. Then Hogwarts will start, we can go our separate ways and you can go back to pretending you don't have a sister."

"I'm surprised that you lot don't have a way of finding a place to live in the meantime with magic," Petunia whispered magic as though it was a nasty word.

"Oh how I wish," Lily told her with a sigh.

"In fact, I would think that you would stay with one of your friends instead of being here," Petunia remarked ignoring her sister.

"I'm sorry that you don't want me here, Petunia but I-" Lily began.

"I didn't say I didn't want you here," Petunia snapped. "If I didn't want you here, I wouldn't have let you stay."

Lily smiled. She knew this was Petunia's way of saying that she loved Lily. "Thank you, Tuney," Lily said softly, patting Petunia's boney shoulder. Petunia said nothing but Lily thought she saw a hint of a smile on Petunia's face.

"Petunia, I need another beer and Dudley wants a slice of pie!" Vernon bellowed, ruining the lovely sisterly moment.

"I'll get those right away, dear," Petunia shouted back.

"You know they could get it themselves," Lily muttered. "You shouldn't have to wait on them hand and foot."

"Lily, a marriage is about compromise, you'll understand that when you get married someday," Petunia told her, returning to her prissy self.

"What do you get out of this?" Lily wondered incredulously.

"Lily," Petunia warned.

Lily sighed. "Fine, I'll be quiet." When Petunia left with Vernon's beverage and Dudley's snack, Lily went back to doing the dishes. "If this is what marriage is like, then I'm glad I didn't get married," Lily whispered.

"I heard that," Petunia told her as she walked back in. "Now if you're finished with the dishes, why don't we get started on the laundry?"

"Oh joy," Lily said sarcastically. She did not want to touch Dudley's shirts again. That boy spilled more food then he actually ate and that was saying something. The moment to step into Hogwarts Express couldn't come sooner.

* * *

"You okay, kid?" James asked his thirteen year old son as they walked through the crowded train station.

"I'm fine, Dad," Harry answered, trying to fake a smile. But James wasn't fooled. And he gave his son a skeptical look. "I just wish Mum was here to see me off," Harry admitted sadly. "It feels odd that she isn't here."

"I know, Harry. I miss her too," James assured his son and patted his back reassuringly. "It's been a year since she died and I can still picture her waving at us as we leave for Hogwarts."

"Do you think she's happy with Grandmum and Grandpa?" Harry looked at his dad hopefully. Even though he never knew his grandparents the countless stories he heard about them from his father and his uncles made him feel connected to them.

"Just as long as your Grandmum doesn't start talking about who can cook better meal," James answered with a chuckle. "I remember when those too used to compete over who cooked better. A fight my dad and I would wisely stay out of."

"Mum really did love cooking," Harry agreed. "She could out-cook anyone."

"Her motto was the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach," James laughed.

"If that was true then Uncle Sirius would have proposed to her," Harry joked.

"Did I hear someone say my name?" Sirius Black walked towards them wearing his infamous smirk and his wavy black hair set to perfection. He had his hand on his son's shoulder. He was a splitting image of him who incidentally also inherited Sirius's knack for mischief.

"Hey Harry! Guess who found a puking pastille I 'accidentally' dropped?" Aries whispered with a smirk.

"Weasley?!" Harry asked happily. Aries nodded. "Excellent!" Harry and Aries shared knowing smiles and glinting mischievous looks.

"You know it's kind of unfair that you're using his brothers' creations against him," James remarked, thinking his good old days when of pulling pranks on Slytherin. Besides, he didn't understand why Harry and Aries insisted on picking on a fellow Gryffindor.

"Oh come on, James, who cares. Just be proud that they're taking after us. They're a chip off the old block," Sirius said proudly.

"That's what I'm afraid of," James muttered and shook his head at Sirius's incorrigible ways. "So is Remus meeting us on the platform?"

"Nope, he said he's not feeling well. And for once it isn't his time of the month," Sirius explained. "However he's going to call you when you get to Hogwarts."

"I still can't believe that you'll be teaching us this year," Harry said excitedly.

"Hey, this means that he'll give us back all the points that greasy bat takes off Gryffindor," Aries assured him with an impish grin.

"I am not showing any favoritism," James said, attempting to sound stern but failing miserably.

The four of them laughed, knowing full well that James would indeed be showing favoritism.

"We better get you boys on the trains. It leaves in a few minutes," Sirius commented as he heard the shrill whistle of Hogwarts Express.

"You're right, Dad. Nev's probably getting lost without us," Aries said with a chuckle.

Aries and Harry pulled their trunks onto the train and went searching for an empty compartment once they bid their farewell to their fathers.

"So you going to be okay, mate?" Sirius asked.

"I'll be fine, Sirius," James answered as he picked up his luggage onto the train with pain still etched on his handsome face.

"We all miss Megan, James," Sirius told him firmly and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We all loved her."

"I know." He gave him a weak smile. "I'll owl you when I get to Hogwarts," With a final nod he said goodbye to Sirius on the platform and walked towards the staff compartment.

As James walked along the hallway his trunk got caught on the carpet. He turned around to look at the trunk's wheel and gave it a little jut, as he bumped into someone. He turned around to look at a redhead standing there with condiments in her hand.

"Oh I'm so sorry," the woman said apologetically.

James looked at the woman again. He would recognize that voice anywhere. "Lily?" he asked in surprise.

"James?" Lily exclaimed as recognition dawned in her emerald orbs. "Is that really you?"


End file.
